Traffic-signal for vehicles.



A. D- SCHNAARS 6: C. L. JOLY.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1914.

1,172,060. Patented Feb. 15,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES i lwslvrons ALBERT 0, JCH/VIARS Q 7 I r m ATTORNEYS SCHNAARS &C. L. JOLY, TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. H, 1914.

Patented Feb. 15,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ATTORNEYS A. p. SCHNAARS & c. L. JOLY. TRAFFIC SIGNALFOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. II. 1914. 1,172,060, Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES l/V I/E IV TURS ALBERT 0. JCHNAARS CHARLES L Jozr B V UNITEDsr 1 ALBERT D. SCHNAARS, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, AND CHARLES L.JOLY, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRAFFIC-SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filed March 11, 1914. Serial No. 824,042.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT D. SoHNAARs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, and CHARLES L. JOLY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of New York, Tottenville, borough of Richmond, inthe county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Traffic-Signal for Vehicles, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are:to provide means whereby cautionary and directive signals areautomatically disclosed coincident with the operation of amanuallyguided and controlled vehicle; to prov de a device of thecharacter indicated, havlnga containing case for normally concealing thedirective members, said case being reduced in its structural dimensions;toprovide means whereby the stop indication is preceded by a cautionaryindication; and to provide for duplicating certain of the signals at thefront end, as well as at the rear of the vehicle.

Drawings.-Figure 1 is a side view indicating in light lines a vehicle ofthe character mentioned, having applied thereto signals constructed andarranged in accordance with the present invention, the elementseniployed in the present invention being indicated by heavy lines; Fig.2 is a face view of the front end signal apparatus forming a part of thepresent inyention; ig. 3 is a vertical cross section taken as on theline 3 3 in Fig. 2, showing in conjunction therewith a water-coolingradiator of conventional construction, and means for mounting the sameon said radiator; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, takenon the line et-l in Fig. 3, showing in detail the means for normallydisposing a pointer used in the signal; Fig. 5 is a face View of therear .end signal apparatus employed in the present invention; Fig. 6 1sa vertical cross section of the rear end signal appara-.

bar 24 of any suitable Fig. 7; Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are detail views onenlarged scale, showing in cross section the operating shaft and theslow signal in conjunction therewith; Fig. 12 is a vertical crosssection of the pivot housing for the pointer used in the rear endsignal.

Descripti0n.-As shown in the accompanying drawings, a signal apparatus15 is mounted on the front of a vehicle, and preferably, when thevehicle is an automobile, onthe face of the radiator thereof. As shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings, the apparatus 15 has a face plate 16, whereonare placed visible symbols indicating a normal position and positions tothe right and left thereof. An oscillating pointer 17 is mounted upon ashaft 18, which is rocked in suit able bearings, one being disposed in abracket plate 19, and the other at the rear rocked, disposes the pointer17 in one of the three positions indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The shaft 18 is provided with a crank arm 21, in the perforation 22whereof is entered a transmission cable 23. The cable 23 is operativelyengaged with the steering conventional motordriven vehicle. The cable 23is split, the sections being connected by a spring 25 under tension. Thespring 25 operates to take up any slack which may obtain in the cable.Normally, the spring 25 pulls against a coil spring 26, which spring iswrapped-on the shaft 18 or hub of the pointer 17, and has a bearing onthe side of the plate 19. The function of the spring 26, ifunrestricted,

would normally dispose the pointer 17 in position to one side or theother of the normal or central position indicated on the plate 16.

In the steering gear of an automobile, a certain amount of lost motionis generally provided for between the steering wheels and the tillerpost. This fact is taken advantage of in the resent invention, as bymeans of this the tlller post may be moved sufficiently to vary thepressure on the cable 23, and thereby dispose the pointer, with the aidof the spring 26, in any of the three positions indicated by markings onthe plate 16. To this end, the driver of an automobile having a signalconstructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention,shifts his steering wheel and incidentally the steering bar 24,preliminary to making the desired turn. In doing this, the signalapparatus 15 which is at the front of the vehicle, is moved inconsonance with the shaft of the steering wheel, and simultaneously apointer 27 of a signal apparatus 28 at the rear of the vehicle, isshifted to give the same indication rearwardly as that impartedforwardly by the pointer 17.

The pointer 27 is identical with the pointer 17 in construction and inthe manner in which it is harnessed or connected to the steering bar24.- For. the purpose of distinguishing the cables operating the twopointers, the numeral 29 is used to indicate the rearward cable, which,at the rear of the machine, enters the casing forming the signalapparatus 28. The pointer 27 is provided. with a coil. spring 26, aduplicate of the coil spring provided to operate the pointer 17. Also,the cable 29 is provided with a take-up spring 25, a duplicate of thespring with which thecable 23 is provided. It will be understood thatthe arrangement of the cables 23 and 29 and the elements connectedtherewith, and that the pointers 17 and 27, are such that the twopointers are operated. to convey the same information when viewed fromthe front or from the rear of a vehicle constructed in accordance withthe present'invention.

The target section 30 is loosely mounted upon a sleeve 32, and thetarget section 31 is fixedly mounted upon said sleeve. The normal orcollapsed position of the two sections is controlled by a coil spring33. In the collapsed position, the aperture or trans parency 34 isobscured or blotted out by the interposition of said sections betweenthe transparency and the lamp 35 with which the signal is provided.

A single-membered target 36 is fixedly mounted on a sleeve section 37.The sleeve 32 and the section 37 are of the same diam eter, and theedges are arranged to bear against each other. The two sections areconnected by a tube 38, which is loosely mounted on the section 37 Y Thenormal or retracted position of the tube 38 is controlled by a coilspring 39 which is wrapped on section 37. The tube 38 is movedpositively to position by means of an operating cable 40. The cable 40,as shown 'in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is operatively connected with afoot lever 41 and with an emergency brake 42.

The tube 38 is provided with an elongated slot 43,-through which a tab44 on the sleeve 32 extends The purpose of the tab 44 is to providemeans by which the tube 38, after rotating through a single arc ofmovement, engages the sleeve 32 to move into functional position thetarget sections 30 and 31. It will be seen that the target section 31which is lifted preliminary to the 36 is printed the word SLOVV. Thenormal position of the parts herein enumerated is the recumbentposition, or one where the target member 36 and the target sections 30and 31 are both concealed or lying prone within the box of the signal28. Also, it will be noted that the pointer 27 is vertically disposedand held midway between the letters L and R.

The method of movingthe pointer 27 to indicate a proposed variation. ofthe path of travel of the vehicle, has been described above. When, inthe control of the vehicle, it is desired to lessen the speed or arrestthe vehicle, the foot brake 41, or the emergency brake 42, ismanipulated. In other words, power to thisefl'ect is applied to thecable 40. A preliminary movement is thereby effected in the section 37and tube 38, lifting immediately the target member 36 to expose thesymbol SLOW. If it be the intention to merely diminish the speed, thelever 41 is held in this position, and the tube 38 has been rotated tothe point Where I -it is juxtaposed to, or merely engaged with the tab44. If now the brake lever 41, or the emergency lever 42 be employed tofirmly set the brakes to arrest the progress of the vehicle, the tube 38is further revolved, engaging the tab 44 and the sleeve 32 thereby, torotate the same. The immediate effect of the rotation of the tube 32 isto lift the target section 31, which in turn engages and lifts thetarget section 30, the two sections being then raised into view, toexpose the symbol STOP.

It will be understood that when the target 36 is lifted to the uprightposition,it

in Fig. 7, the connecting spring 49' yields to permit the continuedrotation of the tube 38 required to set the sections 30 and 31.

It will be understood that the targets 36 and 3031 are employed inconjunction with the rear end signal apparatus 28, and not inconjunction with the front signal apparatus 15. The signal targets areeach returned to their vout-of-service position by the coil sprin s 33and 39 when permitted by releasing t e foot brake 41 or the emergencybrake 42, as the case may be.

As will be seen in the drawings, the lamp 35 is mounted inthe'containing case of the apparatus 28 and in line with the ruby orriding light 45. The lamp 35 serves at night to illuminate the interiorof the containing case and the aperture or transparency 34. Thetransparency 34 has imprinted or otherwise impressed thereon the wordSTOP. WVhen the target sections and 31 are lifted in the night, they arenot readily seen, and at this time the word on the transparency isemployed as a substitute or alternative. In the assembled containingcase, a slot is formed in the top thereof by the recess 46. Said slot issuificiently wide to permit the light furnished by the lamp 35 toilluminate a plate 47, which, in the apparatus 28, constitutes theduplicate of the plate 16 in the apparatus 15. In this manner, provisionis made for utilizing the pointer 27 by night as Well as by day, whilethe target members directly employed as day signals only, being replacedat night by the transparency 34, for which, however, i

said target sections serve. as a curtain when in out-of-serviceposition.

The upper and lower walls of the casing of the apparatus 28 areperforated suitably to admit light to the target 36 on which isimprinted the word SLOWV, and also to the license number plate 48. Inthis manner, the lamp 35 serves the purpose of a riding lamp, as well asfor the illumination of the signal plates.

Claim:

A signal as characterized, comprising a stationary concealing member ofcontracted width; a single membered target having a speed reductionindicating symbol pivotally mounted to swing around a supporting shaft,to expose the symbols thereon, the width of said target beingapproximately the width of said concealing member; a fractional memberedtarget having a speed suspension indicating symbol, the fractions ofsaid target being adapted to spread in surface to cover the singlemembered target; 'and means embodying the brake controlling mechanism ofan automobile operatively connected with said targets to move the samesuccessively to the service position thereof.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT D. SCHNAARS. CHAS. L. J OLY.

Witnesses:

LOUIS M. CARRIERE, JAMES J. RILEY.

